In recent years, the labor market is following a well-defined direction: the most sought-after professions are, for almost all, the IT and Digital sectors.

This trend may seem granted for many, but it is always good to remember it to young people who are often in doubt about the professional path to choose.

LinkedIn has recently created the top-ranking skills in the Italian market. Here are the top 10 professions:

1. Statistic analysis and data mining
2. SEO and SEM analysis
3. QA and User Testing Software
4. Web architecture and development framework
5. Recruiting
6. Development for mobile devices
7. User interface design
8. Storage and management systems
9. Software Revision Control Systems
10. Middleware and integration software

Both the first and the second entries are key professions in any web agency and involve professional profiles that I meet on a daily basis, among colleagues and candidates.

In the specific, the interest towards SEO topics has grown a lost in the last years: social groups have born and are being followed by thousands of people that want to improve their expertise or showcase their skills.

My goal in this article is to:

1. Explain to juniors who a SEO specialist is and what skills you need to become one;
2. Give concrete examples on how to manage a job interview, small tips that could make the difference during selection;

Who a SEO specialist is and what skills you need to become one

A SEO Specialist is a professional that focuses on website search engine optimization. His job is to make a website more “appealing” for search engines, allowing him to improve the website’s organic ranking for specific user queries. The goal is to increase organic traffic from relevant and high-conversion rate keywords.

To date, there is not a specific study path or methodology to follow to become a SEO specialist, but you need to have a mix of skills to allow your professional profile to grow.

Contrary to what you might think, an SEO Specialist is not just a technically prepared nerd, but needs to have a transversal and strategic preparation, not just on computer skills but also on wider skills.

I’d like to mention four that are particularly close to my heart:

• Writing skills: everyone should be able to write correctly and with a good style, but I can assure you that more often than not this is not the case. In addition, having a proper form and a varied lexicon allows us to deal with a topic in a comprehensive way and this is always appreciated by Google. Knowledge of semiotics or communication is jealously guarding by many SEO Specialists;

• Communication and relational skills: knowing how to relate to others (clients or colleagues), to provide a sense of security and reliability, to assert your opinion and to sell your expertise are all very important qualities that, at times, allow us to appear even better than what we actually are!

• Language skills: English is a must, and is needed to remain always updated (most official sources of news are US based). Other languages certainly do not hurt as well, even though they are often compulsory if you try to apply in an international agency;

• Curiosity and will to improve: the digital world is continuously evolving and, to stay updated and appealing from the professional perspective, it is necessary to have a lot of curiosity and tendency to train and grow.

Obviously, if you want to undertake this type of career, there are a number of essential technical skills. Many can be improved or developed over time, but the following are the basics to be able to carry out the work of SEO Specialist autonomously:

• “Black belt” in Excel;
• (Basic) Knowledge of HTML5 and CSS.
• Knowledge of the most important CMS;
• Theoretical notions about how search engines (crawlers and search engines) work, and major upgrades to Google algorithms (Penguin, Panda, Hummingbird, etc.);
• Deep knowledge of Web Analytics software such as Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, and Search Console;
• Competence in using spider emulators (Screaming Frogs, Xenu) and major web site monitoring tools such as Sistrix, Search Metrics or SemRush;
• Know how to use tools that help us in keyword research, such as Keyword Planner and Google Trends.

The importance of the first impression: tips on your job interview

Let’s start from a premise that may seem absurd – about 30% of employers will get an impression of you during the first minute of your interview. This data rises to almost 70% if we consider the first 5 minutes of interaction.

I used the term “interaction” rather than “interview” deliberately: the interview does not begin when you sit in the chair, but quite before.

There are several factors that contribute to forming this first impression that will positively or negatively label you from the very first moments.

I would like you to consider several of these:

• Pre-interview communication: any communication between the candidate and the interviewer (telephone or e-mail) must be handled in a very scrupulous manner. The tone of the mail will be decisive, it should be formal unless you are invited otherwise, as well as the presence of any spelling errors or abbreviations of words (one of the worst things in my opinion), and the flexibility required to set a meeting or a call;
• Punctuality and phases before the handshake: on the day of the interview it is a good idea not to be too early or too late. The right time is 10 minutes before the agreed time, which is necessary to announce yourself and thus avoid putting “pressure” on the recruiter. One of the worst things you can do is bring relatives or friends along;
• The greeting and your look: when you will approach your recruiter, two things will stand out among all:
  • Your clothes: clothes make the man. A well-dressed and appropriate outfit will definitely make the difference. In case your interlocutor does not give particular importance to your clothing, remember that if you are well dressed and presented, you will have at least avoided the risk of making a negative impression;
  • Handshake, smile and look – the legend that the handshake must be strong and determined is truthful, but up to a certain level of intensity. It is true that the “soft” handshakes immediately give a bad impression, it is not necessary to break your recruiter’s hand. You need a good compromise. It is very important to look your interlocutor in the eyes, crossing his gaze often and always with a genuine and unforced smile. Do not look the recruiter in the eyes without ever looking away, you do not want to be labeled as a cyborg. Also, do not look around too much, like the ceiling or the windows. The former could make our interviewer uncomfortable while the latter can make you seem like disinterested or extremely shy. A precious advice: do not smoke before meeting the person. If you are lucky your recruiter will be a smoker and will not notice anything, otherwise you will look like a smoker wandering the corridors. The same argument applies to those who continue chewing their chewing-gum during a conversation.

And during the job interview? Let’s see some things to do and not to do.

What to do and what not to do during a job interview?

• Know the company: it is crucial to carefully study the industry, the services offered and the company’s portfolio. This attitude transmits proactivity, real desire for change, and determination. Answers like “I’ve been busy these days and I have not been able to check your website” should absolutely be avoided!
• Turn off your cellphone: there is nothing worse than a phone ringing during a meeting. Oh wait, checking the phone or answering the call is! Please, do yourself and all around you a favor and turn it off;
• Informality: remain formal unless invited by the recruiter. It is often a test to assess your communication skills, as if you were in front of a customer;
• Body language: pay attention to your nonverbal language. Sit comfortably and avoid lying on your chair and widen your legs as if you were at a summer grill;
• Do not interrupt: the most important advice of all is to not interrupt your interlocutor when he is speaking. Wait until he finishes his thought. Whatever you want to say was not requested at that time and, if it is a question, wait: you may receive your answer without having to interrupt anyone;
• Ask questions: when asked, you can ask questions, as long as they make sense. All recruiters will appreciate your interest. The rule of “you must ask questions to show interest” is only valid if you really have something to ask, which has not yet been explained. Asking a question just for the sake of asking can make you feel dull;
• Concise and complete answers: when you are asked a question, the best way to impress your converser is to answer in a simple, straightforward and concise manner. Beating around the bush and grasping at straws and answering to unasked questions simply annoy your recruiter and make the interview longer than it should be;
• Do not lie: it seems trivial but avoid lying. When asked if you know how to use a tool or if you ever did one thing or not, it is not convenient to not tell the truth. Often, we do not perceive how much a lack of knowledge is appreciated rather than a lie that is revealed 5 minutes later, after being introduced into the details of technical knowledge. The same argument applies to pay, that is often inflated. I do not think it’s a good tactic, especially if a payroll is required;
• Previous employer: do not speak ill of the previous employer, you don’t bite the hand that fed you. Such an attitude suggests that you will carry it in the future and this hint seriousness and maturity;
• Digital reputation: take care of your digital reputation. Each recruiter, before, after, or during the interview, will search you on social or search engines. It is therefore important to know how to build a good self-image on the web;
• Offered pay: never ask how much the salary is going to be. I think it’s obvious to everyone that you will never receive a worse proposal than your current pay and, in any case, asking for an amount will not help in any way. You will know if you will be considered fit for the applied position. Asking for it does not increase the salary, but it will make you seem like you are only interested in the economic aspect.

I hope this article will be useful to those who want to get closer to the SEO world and have a job interview shortly! Best of luck to you!